IDC Names IBM No. 1 in Application Management Services

IDC has named IBM the global market share leader in application management services (AMS).
IDC reported the ranking in its recently published study, “Worldwide and U.S. Application Management Services 2012 Vendor Shares: IDC’s Top 10 Vendors.” Since the inception of the report in 2007, IBM has earned the No. 1 ranking in consolidated AMS market share.
"Our clients are finding massive new possibilities in a world transformed by data and the technologies to exploit it for new competitive position,” said Colleen Arnold, senior vice president of Application Management Services for IBM Global Business Services, in a statement. “By definition, any new market-facing models of engagement or the ability to convert new insight into value require the most contemporary approaches to the management of existing applications or changes to core business processes and the applications that support them. We remain committed to bringing our clients the most sophisticated portfolio of AMS capabilities in the industry."
The IDC evaluation concluded that IBM again led in consolidated AMS revenue, offering market-leading integrated and discrete service options to help clients address efficiency, cost and portfolio modernization options.

IBM is working with a variety of global clients on Application Management Services, including the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company to help enhance their key applications including policies, claims and billing.

IBM Application Management Services provides a differentiated approach that brings together a globally integrated delivery network with business and technology skills, innovation and business processes. The service is designed to streamline application management functions, improve flexibility and modernize application portfolios in support of future growth and strategic shifts. AMS solutions span management of applications for big data, mobile, commerce, packaged applications, testing, modernization and custom development, accelerated through cloud, analytics, APIs and other emerging technologies.
IBM Application Management Services brings together an industrialized, globally integrated approach with distinctive analytics capability and leading automation to help companies strategically manage their application portfolios in support of business goals. Some of IBM’s application management solutions and capabilities include smarter application development and management, application outsourcing services, application modernization services, business analytics application management, Smarter Commerce application management, SAP application management, Oracle application management, cloud application management, testing services and application assembly optimization.
For the second quarter of 2013, IBM reported that its Global Technology Services segment revenues decreased 5 percent to $9.5 billion and its Global Business Services segment revenues were down 1 percent to $4.6 billion.
Meanwhile, in terms of No. 1 rankings for Big Blue, earlier this month Navigant Research named IBM the leader in the smart city suppliers market.
According to the Navigant Research report on the issue, “IBM’s commitment to smart cities has become a key component of its broader Smarter Planet strategy. Its continued investment in research and development, products and city engagements has allowed it to maintain its leadership position despite the growing number of heavyweight competitors.”
The Navigant Research Leaderboard Report on smart city suppliers examines the world’s leading companies that support smarter cities projects including energy, water, transportation, building management and government services. The report specifically compares companies that provide an integrated approach to city operations, technologies and solutions. The Navigant Research Leaderboard Report evaluates smart city suppliers on the basis of market share, product performance and features, product integration, marketing and financial resources to support large-scale smart city projects on a global basis.
Navigant Research estimates that the global market for Smart Cities technology will grow from $6.1 billion annually in 2012 to more than $20 billion in 2020, a compound annual growth rate of 16.2 percent. This represents a cumulative investment of more than $117 billion in smart-city technologies between 2012 and 2020.